Spring construction



ay 95 H. HOPKES, JR

SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 16, 1945 HITA YN A Patented May 8, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING CONSTRUCTION Henry Hopkes, Jr.,Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich, assignor to No-Sag Spring Company, Detroit,Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 16, 1945, Serial No.594,002

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-179) This invention relates to spring constructionsand particularly to a spring element which provides a soft edge to thesides and front of an upholstered chair, davenport, and the like.

The present invention pertains to the application of spring elements tospring strips of the zigzag type made of wire bent back andforth to havestraight, substantially parallel portions joined by looped portions. Thestrips are set on an are along their longitudinal dimension to provideresistance to deflection and the desired amount of resiliency whendeflected a predetermined amount under load. The ends of the springstrips are secured directly to the front edge of the frame and form anon-deflecting portion of the resulting spring surface. The rear ends ofthe strips are preferably secured by U-shaped links to the rear edge ofthe frame to permit the downward movement of the ends when a load isapplied to the strips. The strips are interconnected relative to eachother by suitable wire links so as to deflect in unison under load, anda border wire is applied to the frame above the side and front framemembers.

U-shaped spring elements are attached to the loops of adjacent springstrips sov as to be disposed therebetween out of position of contactwith the strips when the projecting ends thereof are defiected. Theprojecting end portions of the spring elements, which are disposedbetween the strips, have the end web secured by suitable bands to theborder wire to support the border wire above the front frame member.Similar spring elements are attached to spaced looped portions of thestrips which are positioned adjacent to the side, frame members toextend outwardly of the strips and above the side frame members inposition to be attached by suitable bands to the border wire portionsdisposed along and above the side frame members. The spring elementsthereby resiliently support the border wire from the spring strips anddistribute the load to the border wire which deflects with the springstrips and independently thereof. The resulting seat construction has asoft edge along the sides and the front of the frame on which the springstructure is supported.

The spring elements preferably comprise a U-shaped wire having armsspaced from each other providing a web portion, which arms are bentoutwardly of each other at an angle of substantially 45, with the endsbent backwardly upon themselves to form S-shaped hooks which extendunder and over looped portions of the zigzag spring strips. Whenattached to opposite ture illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 5-5loops on adjacent spring strips, the extending arms. and web of theelement are disposed between the strips. out of engagement therewithwhen the elements arev deflected, thereby preventing the elements fromproducinga noise if deflected below the strips. v

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide aU-shaped springelement having; end portions which are disposed at anangle to the body portion and reversely bent into S-shaped hooks whichare secured to opposite loops of adjacent strips above and between whichthe body portion projects; to mount spring elements on adjacent springstrips of the frame in a manner to extend thereabove between the stripsfor supporting a border wire which produces a soft edge to the seatconstruction; to attach a U-shaped element having diverging endportionswhich are reversely bent into S-shaped hooks to spaced looped portionsalong one edge of a sinuous spring strip in position to engage andsupport the side portion of a border wire above the side frame member ofthe seat; and, in general, to provide a spring element for a springsurface which pro duces a soft edge along the sides andfront of a seatstructure, which is simple in construction;

and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will bespecifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for abetter understanding of the invention, to the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of a chair embodying features ofthis invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the back of the chair illustrated inFig. 1 when the upholstery is removed therefrom;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken plan view of the seat portion of the chairillustrated in Fig. l, with the upholstery removed therefrom;

Fig. 4 is anenlarged view in perspective of the spring element attachedto a loop of the spring strip of the seat, and

' Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the struc-v thereof.

Inthe figures, achair I 0 is illustrated, having a spring upholsteredseat II and a spring uphol; stered back l2. The back--l2 of the seatembodies top and bottom cross frame members [3 intercom necting sideelements l4, Zigzag spring strips I5- members |3. The strips are securedto the cross members in a suitable manner herein illustrated as by metalclips l6 which are nailed or otherwise secured to the members forpivotally supporting the ends of the strips. The zigzag spring stripsare set on an arc of small radius along their longitudinal dimension toresist downward deflection when loaded. When the ends are extended andstretched between the clips Hi, the spring strips are bowed outwardlyfrom the members l3 and will offer resistance to deflection when loadedand will return to their original arched positions thereafter. Thespring strips are interconnected by wire links I! and are attached tothe side elements l4 by coil springs |8 having eyes on the ends whichengage the loops of the strips l and are secured by nails, screws, orother means I 9 to the elements |4.

Similar strips l5 interconnect the back frame member 2| and front framemember 22 of the seat frame. The members 2| and 22 are joined at theirends to side frame members 23 to complete the frame. The strips l5 havethe ends adjacent the front frame member 22 secured thereto by clips l6which are secured to the frame member by nails 24. The rear ends of thestrips l5 are secured in eyes 25 at the ends of the U-shaped wire links26 which are attached by clips IE to the rear frame element 2|. Thestrips are interconnected by the wire links H so as to have the stripsdeflected in unison with each other to distribute the load thereacross.It will be noted that the front ends of the strips are innon-deflectable relation to the frame member 22 thereby forming a hardedge therewith. The rear ends of the strips are deflectable relative tothe rear frame element 2| to permit the rear portion of the springstrips to deflect as a unit below the frame member 2 To provide a softedge to the upholstered seat construction, a border wire 28 is extendedalong and above the side frame members 23 and front frame member 22 whensecured by clips 29 to the rear frame member 2|. Spring elements 3|interconnect the spring strips |5 to the border wire along the front andside edges, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The spring elements haveparallel arm portions 32 which are joined by an end web 33 and havingthe opposite end portions 34 disposed in diverging relation at an angleof from 30 to 45. The ends of the diverging portions 34 are reverselybent and formed into S- shaped hooks 35, as illustrated morespecifically in Figs. 4 and 5. The S-shaped hooks 35 extend under andover adjacent looped portions 36 of a spring strip Hi to have thediverging portions 34 project into the space between adjacent stripswith the parallel arm portions 32 and the webs 33 projecting upwardlyabove the frame member 22. This maintains the extending portion of theelements 3| between adjacent strips l5 out of a position of contacttherewith when deflected under a load.

Clips 31 are crimped about the webs 33 of the elements 3| and the borderwire 28 to securely support the border wire above the front frame member22.

A similar spring element 38 having S-shaped hooks reversely bent on thediverging ends engages spaced looped portions 36 of the spring strips l5disposed adjacent to the side border members 23. The web 33 of the stripis secured by clips 31 to the side portions of the border wire 28 tosupport the border wire above the side frame members 23 in the plane ofthe spring strips l5 which form the load-carrying portion of the seat.

At the corners of the border wire 28, one of the elements 3| has both ofits S-shaped hooks 35 attached to the same looped portion of the springstrip |5 so as to extend between the side border wire portions and theside spring strips l5 when attached to the corners of the border wire byclips 31.

It will be noted that the border wire is resiliently supported above theside frame members 23 and front frame members 22 by the spring elementswhich are attached to the resilient strips forming the mainload-supporting portion of the seat. A soft edge is provided to theresulting seat structure at the sides and front, while the rear portionsof the spring strips are capable of deflecting below the top of the rearframe element 2| when loaded. All of the spring elements and the borderwire are interconnected with each other to function as a unit to deflectwith each other.

The upholstering material 4| is applied over the spring strips l5 andthe border wire 28, the latter of which provides and maintains form tothe edge of the upholstered surface. This edge is free to deflectindependently of the spring strips IE or to deflect therewith when aload is applied to the edge or directly on the load-supporting portionof the resulting spring structure.

In the construction herein illustrated, the strips |5 are oppositelydisposed to have the looped por tions 36 positioned in aligned relationto each other. The loops at the ends of the springs are oppositelydisposed to have the loops aligned in adjacent strips rather than offsetfrom each other which would require one leg 32 to be longer than theother. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the corner element 32 differsfrom those above described to be positioned between the spring stripsl5. At the front corners the elements have straight leg portions ofdifferent hook lengths, the hooks on the ends of which are secured toadjacent loops of the endmost spring strips IS on the outermost sidethereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cushion construction, a frame made up of front and rear membersjoined by side members, sinuous spring strips made of wire havingstraight portions joined by looped portions secured at their ends to thefront and rear frame members, a U-shaped spring element having a webfrom which arm portions extend substantially parallel to each other andwhich diverge in angular relation to each other near the end opposite tothe web, the ends of said diverging portions being reversely bent andformed into S-shaped hooks for extending over and under opposite loopsof adjacent springs so as to have the arms and web portions disposedtherebetween above the frame.

2. In a cushion construction, a frame made up of front and rear membersjoined by side members, sinuous spring strips made of wire havingstraight portions joined by looped portions secured at their ends to thefront and rear frame members, a U-shaped spring element having a webfrom which arm portions extend substantially parallel to each other andwhich diverge in angular relation to each other near the end opposite tothe web, the ends of said diverging portions being reversely bent andformed into S-shaped hooks for extending over and under opposite loopsof adjacent spring strips so as to have the arms and web portionsdisposed therebetween above the frame, a border element secured to saidframe and extending above the front frame member, and means for securingthe Web of U-shaped elements to the border element.

3. In a cushion construction, a frame made up of front and rear membersjoined by side members, sinuous spring strips made of wire havingstraight portions joined by looped portions secured at their ends to thefront and rear frame members, a U-shaped spring element having a webfrom which arm portions extend substantially parallel to each other andwhich diverge in angular relation to each other near the end opposite tothe web, the ends of said diverging portions being reversely bent andformed into S-shaped hooks for extending over and under opposite loopsof adjacent spring strips so as to have the arms and web portionsdisposed therebetween above the frame, a border element secured to saidframe and extending above the front frame member, means for securing theweb of U-shaped elements to the border element, similar U-shaped springelements attached to spaced looped portions on the edge of the springstrips adjacent to the side frame members with the webs extendedthereabove, and means for securing the web of the last said springelements to the side portion of the border element above the side framemembers.

4. In a cushion construction, a frame made up of front and rear membersjoined by side members, sinuous spring strips made of wire havingstraight portions joined by looped portions secured at their ends to thefront and rear frame members, a U-shaped spring element having a webfrom which arm portions extend substantially parallel to each other andwhich diverge in angular relation to each other near the end opposite tothe web, the ends of said diverging portions being reversely bent andformed into S-shaped hooks for extending over and under opposite loopsof adjacent spring strips so as to have the arms and web portionsdisposed therebetween above the frame, a border element secured to saidframe and extending above the front frame member, means for securing theweb of U-shaped elements to the border element, similar U -shaped springelements attached to spaced looped portions on the edge of the springstrips adjacent to the side frame members with the webs extendedthereabove, means for securing the web of the last said spring elementsto the side portion of the border element above the side frame members,and a U-shaped spring element having the webs attached to the borderelement adjacent to each of the corners between the front and sideportions of the border element and having the hook ends supported onlooped portions on the spring strips which are disposed adjacent to theside frame members.

HENRY HOPKES, J'R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 325,033 Wetmore Aug. 25, 18851,476,046 Brandel et a1. Dec. 4, 1923 2,149,350 Kloppman Mar. '7, 19392,170,483 Place Aug. 22, 1939 2,235,554 Hopkes et al Mar. 18, 19412,356,417 Mayer Aug. 22, 1944 2,439,789 Bank Apr. 20, 1948

